The present invention relates generally to imaging media supply trays for handling a variety of imaging media sizes in imaging systems.
Many imaging systems, particularly printers, include imaging media supply holders, typically in the form of trays or drawers. Such supply holders contain a quantity of imaging media (sheets of paper, transparency material, labels, or the like) in such a way as to provide access to a feed mechanism of the imaging system. A common form of feed mechanism employs xe2x80x9cpick and feedxe2x80x9d rollers to lift the top sheet of material and introduce it into the imaging system for processing.
It is often desirable to use a variety of different-sized imaging media in a single imaging system. For example, correspondence in the United States is typically on U.S. Letter size paper, measuring 8.5 inchesxc3x9711 inches, while European business is more frequently conducted using A4 size paper, which measures 8.272 inchesxc3x9711.689 inches.
Not surprisingly, a variety of solutions have arisen in attempting to accommodate this problem. For example, printers have been provided with a plurality of input trays. While this approach is conceptually simple, it requires duplication not only of trays, but of pick mechanisms and materials handling paths as well.
Another approach is to provide selectively movable stops or xe2x80x9cx and yxe2x80x9d guides on the interior of the tray, effectively allowing the interior size of the tray to be adjusted, either to respective standard sizes, or to xe2x80x9ccustomxe2x80x9d sizes. This approach requires the system user to remove the input tray, remove all of the material from the tray, adjust the guides to the desired size, place material into the tray, and replace the tray in the system. This level of operational complexity is undesirable, particularly when size changes are frequent. Further, guides are often delicate, and subject to improper adjustment or abuse.
Yet another approach holds different sized media in a stacked configuration in an auxiliary tray. Mechanisms within the tray permit a user to selectively move the auxiliary tray into a xe2x80x9cpickxe2x80x9d position when the media within the tray is desired. Although this approach is effective, it nonetheless requires additional mechanical complexity.
It can be seen from the foregoing that the need exists for simple, inexpensive media supply trays capable of handling a variety of imaging media sizes in imaging systems.
An imaging media supply tray for providing imaging media to a feed mechanism of an imaging system a first access area adapted and constructed to contain a first quantity of imaging media in a position capable of exposing the first quantity of imaging media to the feed mechanism. A second access area adapted and constructed to contain a second quantity of imaging media in a position capable of exposing the second quantity of imaging media to the feed mechanism. A securing mechanism is adapted and constructed to selectively secure the imaging media supply tray in the imaging system in a first orientation connecting the first access area to the feed mechanism, or in a second orientation connecting the second access area to the feed mechanism.